Telecommunications remote sites, utility switchgear sites, wireless sites and railroad sites all typically have electronic cabinets located in an outdoor environment. The equipment housed in these electronic cabinets frequently includes a battery back up that is used in the event of a utility power failure.
Batteries in such an environment are typically housed in the electronic cabinets themselves. While in operation, the equipment in the electronic cabinets generates heat that raises the ambient temperature of the batteries. Additionally, the electronic cabinets are heated by the sun, thus serving to further raise the temperature of the environment in which the batteries are operating. In most cases, a high heat environment shortens a battery's life. It is well known by those within the commercial battery industry that the effective life span of a battery is significantly diminished by extreme ambient temperatures.
In attempts to increase the effective life span of the batteries, prior art devices have been developed in which the batteries may be removed from the electronic cabinets. An example of such a device is an upright battery cabinet that may be placed next to the electronics cabinet. Upright cabinets and other prior art devices, however, take up additional space at the telecommunications, utility or other site. At many sites, space is at a premium, and the presence of separate battery enclosures crowds the site, making it more difficult for technicians to access the equipment housed in the electronic cabinets.
Additionally, even if an upright battery cabinet has a small footprint and does not take up a significant amount of space at the telecommunications, utility or other site, the expense and weight of the upright battery cabinet might make it impractical to use. An upright battery cabinet accommodates multiple batteries by arranging them on several vertical shelves. The vertical design requires the enclosure to be built with heavy bracing and metal to support the weight of the batteries. The bracing must be further reinforced if the battery cabinet is to be used in an area susceptible to seismic forces. As an upright battery cabinet gets taller, the moment arm when shaken gets larger and heavier metal and bracing is required. As heavier bracing and metal is needed, the expense of the upright battery cabinet increases. Additionally, the weight of the upright battery cabinet increases dramatically. The weight of some upright battery cabinets combined with the batteries housed inside the cabinet can exceed well over 400 pounds per square foot, which exceeds the capacity of most building rooftop designs, making use of the upright battery cabinet impracticable.
Accordingly, there exist a need in the art for an improved battery enclosure that houses batteries outside of an electronic cabinet.